Five months for protester who hit policeman at far-Right demo

An English Defence League protester who punched a policeman during last weekend's banned demo in east London has been jailed for five months.

Darrell Copeland, 44, charged a line of police and smashed Sergeant James Lloyd in the face as the officers struggled to control demonstrators from the far-Right group.

Copeland, who had been drinking, struggled violently as he was arrested, headbutting a window, threatening to do the same to police and shouting anti-Muslim abuse, City of Westminster magistrates' court was told.

He was held in custody after Saturday's protest until his court appearance, when he admitted assault. District Judge Daphne Wickham heard that Copeland, from Milton Keynes, had previously been jailed for racist abuse.

Victoria Forbes, prosecuting, said he had joined EDL demonstrators at Aldgate station, where they chanted: "Let's go f**king mental," as officers tried to control the crowd.

He claimed he had come to London to visit his mother, not specifically to take part in the demonstration.